Ski race - winter olympic look a sport in which athletes need to cover a certain distance on skis in the shortest possible time. Cross-country skiing is divided into male and female.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) was founded in 1924 and brings together the national federations.
The history of the emergence and development of cross-country skiing (skiing)
Historians and dated 6-7 century BC written evidence suggests that the first skis appeared among northern hunters. The first skis were very similar to modern snowshoes.
Due to the harsh climate, the Norwegians showed the greatest interest in skiing. At the beginning of the 18th century, skiing was part of the compulsory training program for the Norwegian troops. And at the end of the same century, the first cross-country skiing competitions were held.
In the early 19th century, the world's first skiing community was created. A little later, the first ski club was opened in Finland, after which such clubs appeared in many countries of Europe, America and Asia. By the end of the century, cross-country skiing competitions began to be held in almost all countries of the world.
Cross-country skiing first appeared at the Olympic winter games 1924 in Chamonix. Competitions for women appeared at the 1952 Oslo Olympics.
Cross-country skiing rules
The competition rules are approved by the International Ski Federation ("Rules international competitions»).
The following types of starts are used in the competition: separate, general, group and pursuit starts. Split starts typically use 30 second intervals.
The starter gives a warning: "Attention" 10 seconds before the start. 5 seconds before the start, the countdown begins: "5 ... 4 ... 3 ... 2 ... 1", followed by the start signal "March". During the race, athletes are not allowed to use other means of transportation, except for skis and ski poles... Skiers must only walk on the track and go through all checkpoints.
On the way, athletes can change one ski or poles. Follows the change of skis panel of judges, before the start, all skis must be marked.
Finish time is recorded manually or electrically and is given in full seconds.
Cross-country skiing track
Cross-country skiing tracks should be located so that they give the best opportunity to evaluate the technical, tactical and physical fitness athletes. The difficulty level must correspond to the level of the competition. The main components of the cross-country skiing track:
- One third of the slope should be ascents with an angle of 9% to 18% with a height difference of more than 10 meters, as well as several short ascents with a steepness of more than 18%.
- One third is hilly, rugged terrain, consisting of short ascents and descents (with a height difference of 1 to 9 meters).
- One third is a variety of descents requiring different descending techniques. The tracks are used only in the direction established for the competition.
It is better if the track consists of several circles so that the audience can enjoy watching the competing athletes. On the official competitions the length of the distance ranges from 800 m to 50 km.
Skiing equipment
- Skis are the main piece of equipment for a skier. Skis are classic, skating and combined. Previously, when choosing skis, it was important skier's height, now the length of the skis primarily depends on the weight. Each manufacturer has tables that describe which ski length corresponds to which weight.
- Boots are special shoes designed to be used with skis.
- Mounts come in two systems - SNS and NNN and ski boots fit only one of them.
- Poles are equipment used by skiers to maintain balance and accelerate movement while skiing.
Skiing styles
Skating style (free) - implies that the skier can independently choose the way with which he will move along the distance. This style outperforms the classic style in speed.
The classic style is a type of movement in which the skier passes almost the entire distance along a prepared track. "Classic" ski runs they are divided according to the method of repulsion with sticks into alternating and simultaneous.
The main types of cross-country skiing
- Time-trial competition is a ski competition in which athletes start one after another at a certain interval. Usually the interval between starts is 30 seconds.
- Mass Start Competition is a ski competition in which all athletes start at the same time.
- Pursuit or Pursuit (English pursuit - pursuit) - competition from several stages. One of the stages skiers run in the classical style, and the other in the skating style. The position of the skiers at all stages is determined by the results of the previous stages.
- Relay is a ski competition in which teams of four participants compete. The ski relay consists of 4 stages. Relays can be run in one style (all participants run their stages in a classical or free style) or in two styles (stages 1 and 2, participants run in a classical style, and stages 3 and 4 - in a free style). The relay is passed by touching the palm of the hand of any part of the body of the starting athlete of his team, while both athletes are in the relay transfer zone.
- Sprint (individual and team).
Cross-country skiing competition
- The Olympic Games are the most prestigious cross-country skiing competitions, held every 4 years.
- The World Ski Championships is the second most prestigious cross-country skiing competition, held every odd year.
- The Cross-Country Skiing World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition held by the International Ski Federation from October to March.
What: Cross-country skiing Where: Northern Europe (Finland, Sweden, Norway)
20.04.2016 Red bull Nordenskiöldsloppet is the longest classic cross-country skiing race in the world.
Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet- the longest classic cross-country skiing race in the world.
And not only the longest one. It is also the oldest one: it took place already in 1884, when the members of the expedition of Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld returned from Greenland and said that in one of the exits two natives of Jokkmokk covered 460 km on skis in 57 hours. Naturally, no one believed them, and then Nurdenskjold decided to prove that it was possible in principle. Thus, a 220 km route appeared, which the participants of the race planned to overcome in 24 hours. As a result, the winner met at 21 hours 22 minutes.
To make it clear what kind of people they were, take a look at the photo:
Skis 210-300 long and 8-12 cm wide, poles and other equipment are clear what. Naturally, no one traced the track to them. All modern record holders are resting.
And this year, Swedish skiers decided to repeat this historic race in Swedish Lapland along the original route from Jokkmokk to Kvikkjokk and back. Date - April 10, 2016
I learned about this from a Swede, with whom I traveled 440 km from the border to the border in Finland in March for a week (http://rajaltarajallehiihto.ranua.fi/Suomeksi/Etusivu). He proudly announced that he was going to close the season in this way, and our group trolled him all week for excessive ambition. He, however, did not particularly troll and all our caustic comments were parried back with a proud "but this is a legendary race." Well, they laughed and forgot.
When I returned to Moscow, it turned out that no, they had not forgotten. As the snow melted and there were fewer and fewer places for normal skiing near Moscow, the thought that closing the season with a 220 km ride on a normal track would be beautiful came to me more and more often. And all the arguments of the mind that 220 km is dofiga, it is not close and not cheap to go there for one day, strangely dissolved in the same obsessive mantra: but this is a legendary race ...
In general, the spirit of adventurism has won once again, and now I register on the race website, pay the entry fee there, buy plane tickets, and voila. The logistics are very simple: the flight Moscow - Stockholm - Luleå, from Luleå to Jokkmokk is about 170 km - you can use a transfer from the organizers, you can rent a car.
An important point. In Moscow, baggage is checked in directly to the final point (Luleå), but in Stockholm it must be collected and delivered to the baggage drop-off counter in the domestic terminal! The baggage is also checked back immediately to Moscow, but it is NOT necessary to receive it in Stockholm. That is, this problem occurs in Sweden only when transferring from an international flight to a domestic one. In Moscow, I was not warned about this, and my skis, of course, safely remained in Stockholm. However, in Luleå I was cheerfully informed that the situation was under control and everything would arrive the next morning on the first flight, so I was not at all upset: I spent the night that day near the airport anyway, moved in a rented car, and had to drive the extra 5 in the morning. km to pick up the skis, I had no difficulty.
The next morning it was sunny and +9, and, I must say, the surrounding landscape did not inspire optimism in terms of the amount and quality of snow.
Freezing rain there is also not uncommon.
The Arctic Circle passes not far from Jokkmokk.
By lunchtime, I am at the place, and I have enough time to calmly look around, register and prepare for tomorrow's race. Jokkmokk is a very small town, however there are several hotels and campgrounds. Of course, by the time I finally decided that I was going, everything was already taken - after all, 500 people. participants for a city with a population of 2000 people. that's a lot - but the organizers help everyone find housing. I was given the contacts of a lovely grandmother, a librarian, who rented me a room in her house with a separate entrance and a bathroom for only 400 CZK for the entire time of my stay there. Here is such a house. And such a room.
Lyrical digression. On the way to the competition center, I decided to eat and went to the first restaurant I came across, which restaurant was ready, judging by the inscriptions on the walls, to make me happy with hamburgers, pizza and salads. I decided to ignore the hamburgers, but the pizza and Greek salad seemed right. The waitress appeared.
- What will you order?
- Pizza and Greek salad.
- Pizza and what?
- Greek salad.
- Which?
- Greek.
- Greek?
- Yes.
Feeling that complete mutual understanding is not reaching us, for greater persuasiveness I point to the chalk inscription "Greek salad" on the blackboard behind her.
- Ahhh, Greek salad ...
The ellipsis felt so sharp that I looked around. The rest of the clients of the institution looked at me judgmental. The waitress is sorry. This regret was not the condescension with which the Italian waiters, rolling their eyes and saying "Mamma mia!" To themselves, take orders from foreign barbarians for lattes or cappuccino in the afternoon. It was something else. Perplexity mixed with curiosity. Trying to somehow defuse the situation, I asked for another bottle of beer. The beer was brought to me immediately, but the situation was not defused.
The waitress returned with my order twenty minutes later. Now she looked at me triumphantly. The rest of the customers eating hamburgers are envious. It looked like this:
The pizza was remarkable only for the fact that the thickness of the cake was two centimeters, no less. But the Greek salad was equipped, in addition to more or less familiar ingredients, with a piece of avocado, a piece of melon and a piece of pineapple ... And most importantly, everything was so fresh, as if it had just come from the garden. Okay, goat cheese, say, from the nearest farm, but where does such a ripe pineapple come from? I've only tried these in Africa ...
I remember this dinner. In this institution, it seems to me, they also remember me. Something was clearly lost in translation, but what and by whom?
At the competition center, you fill out a receipt and receive a participant's kit: an information sheet, a name shirt with a number, stickers with a number, chips on each leg, a map with the route of the race, a stack of advertising brochures, a can of energy drinks from sponsors and three multi-colored plastic bags.
Plastic bags are another story, they are for things. Red and green travel to pre-known points along the course so that the participants can change their clothes if they wish. You can also load a flashlight there if you don’t expect to finish before dark, but you don’t want to drag it with you in the morning. Excess items are thrown into a transparent bag just before the start, and this transparent bag arrives at the finish line. In fact, when I finished, all the packages were already in the center of the competition.
Stickers with the participant number are glued to the packages and to each ski. Skis are checked at the entrance to the start area and at the finish. You cannot change skis at a distance (only if they are broken).
So, morning, start day. The race starts at 06.00. From the competition center in Jokkmokk to the starting point is about 15 km. You can come there by your own car, but there are not very many places in the parking lot, and the finish line is in a different place. It is more convenient to use the buses from the organizers. Buses depart from the competition center, one by one, starting at 04:30. I take the second bus at about 04:45, and at 05:05 we are there. At the starting point there is a small cafe, a warm chum with free bananas and sports drinks, dry closets - everything is as it should be.
Before the start, there is no fuss, there is enough space on the starting glade (i.e. on the ice of the lake), so no one is in a hurry, at 05:45 at the start there are mostly only skis, people hang out somewhere around. At 05:50, everyone slowly takes their places and waits for the start. The start is possible from three positions, depending on the group you are signing up for upon registration. There are three groups - Elite, Competition, Amateur. The organizers do not give evaluation criteria, so everyone decides for himself who he is. I for myself defined these categories as "moose", "athletes", "loshki" and enrolled in the athletes.
In practice, it was possible to start from anywhere, no one followed the distribution of participants at the start. Therefore, I did not make my way to the athletes and started at the very tail, along with the little horses. It's funny that the start was filmed not from some quadcopter, but from a real helicopter. However, it is understandable: this is a legendary race. The helicopter then occasionally flew somewhere nearby. Apparently, he was leading the leaders.
Countdown, shot, let's go. There is no crowding in the tail, everything is blissful and unhurried. At the start there are no less than ten tracks, which after about a kilometer turn into the two promised by the organizers. There are enough of them. It feels like everyone is a little afraid of this long distance, so we go quietly. Well, by local standards, it is calm - the first kilometer out of three minutes, the second out of three, the third out of three ... The speed is under 20 km / h. It rolls well, you quickly get used to it, and this speed begins to seem to be the norm. As a result, for the first 20 km, the average is above 17 km / h.
By the way, just after the first "twenty" people finally stretch along the distance in accordance with their own pace, and I do not see anyone either in front of me or behind me. From that moment until the end of the race, I overtook no more than ten people, and no more than ten people passed me. So, it started in the right place.
The track is very good, solid, rolled up and cut by a snowcat - a sweetie. Landscapes too. I stop taking pictures from time to time.
People ride only in their arms, even uphill. I must admit that the double-polling technique has completely supplanted all the others.
Now about the distances. Here the intrigue, appearing at the very beginning, persisted until the very end. Initially, the original distance of 1884 was declared with a length of 224 km. A couple of weeks before the start, the organizers announced that due to an abnormally warm spring (like, for the first time this in 70 years), the distance will be reduced to 180 km, BUT relief will be added so that life does not seem like honey. The information sheet received the day before indicated the distance of 200 km. The route map with checkpoints confirmed that the distance was 200 km.
The distance was marked by kilometer marks, multiples of 10 km. The first riddle appeared next to the "30 km" sign. The navigator showed 25. Was it stuck in the wrong place? The sign "40 km" - the navigator shows 35. Further, up to 60 km, this shift practically does not change, plus or minus a kilometer. For some time I thought about the version that these are such local Lapland kilometers - the same trouble in Finnish Lapland - but then I decided that a more beautiful theory was a gift from the organizers. This is a legendary race. Ding Ding! Congratulations, you are earning five bonus miles for participating in the program!
Food points are located every 10-15 km. The food is delicious and varied - buns with cheese, bananas, oranges, cereal bars (different), salinity. There are several large locations where broth and pasta with meat are also served. Drinks include water, isotonic, energetic and blueberry jelly (absolutely homemade to taste). There is also tea and coffee at large food outlets.
Empty drink cups are thrown directly onto the snow. Apparently, this was conceived so as not to create traffic jams at food points. But it looks like a big pigsty with a long "tongue", which athletes create. These guys, of course, save seconds, so they grab everything they have and run on, biting off everything once, and throw what is left at their feet. As a result, there is a mountain of empty glasses at the food point, and further along the track - bitten buns, bars (it feels like they bite right through the packaging), gel bags, banana peels and other garbage.
Four hours from the start, a large feeding point 60 km. It is noticeably warmer. I have a very narrow last with a thin layer of KR60 to hold, and I decide to smear with klister, which is used by local servicemen. It's totally free. Moreover, they do it themselves while you are having a snack.
By the way, when registering for the race, one of the two ski preparation packages could be purchased for additional money. One included a simpler one-time treatment of skis with paraffin for sliding and ointment for holding (you give the skis the night before, pick them up in the morning at 04.00, before the departure of the buses), and the second - more professional training with high-fluoride powders and other pies, and once before the start and once or twice at a distance. I didn’t order anything.
I drove on, and then leaders appear on the head-on course. They have already turned around and are running back. Everything is as it should be: stone faces, dull eyes, tongue on the shoulder, foam on the chin. But they walk beautifully and very quickly. I drove 60, they - 90. In 4 hours. At Vasaloppet they would have already finished.
It gets much warmer, the track "lets go", the glide is noticeably worse. Apparently, in this regard, we are credited with the next bonus miles: at the mark "70 km" the device shows 63 km. The 60-90 km section, before the U-turn and back, is the most difficult. Strong terrain, constant ups and downs, bright sun, low speed. Hot. Abandoned hats, bandanas and thermal shirts are scattered along the track. Probably, the organizers then bring it all to lost & found. Or seconds are so important to people that they are ready to simply donate clothes.
As a result, I reach the turning point (75 km from the start) in 5 hours, the average is 15 km / h. But already the next 15 km (from 75 to 90 km) are not given in an hour: the speed drops. But the ride is still pleasant and beautiful.
The way back to the starting point takes not five hours, as there, but almost seven. On the way, I think about what to spend the bonus miles on, because they have already run up well: I pass the "150 km" column when I have only 135 km on my navigator.
160 km behind me, on the next column - 170. I did something wrong - my 3 bonus miles were written off for something. Evening is approaching, I decided not to take the lantern, so I again start thinking about the nature and properties of local kilometers. Hopes that, perhaps, in the end there will be only 180 km in columns, are replaced by fears that all bonus miles will be written off and eventually forced to naturally drive 220 km.
Another food item. The people are cheerful, not to say tipsy. They wave their hand - they say, there is no more than ten kilometers to the finish line, and there is still the last food point and a small circle around the finish line.
The relief is over, it is easy to ride.
After about ten kilometers the houses really start. Hurray, this is Jokkmokk! The music and mumbling of the commentator is getting closer, the finish line is already visible ... But right in front of the finish line, the track somehow treacherously turns into the forest and turns into an ascent, behind which the very last service point is found. Okay, let's have a drink - and to the finish line. I was driving away from the service point, going down and up, I saw on the right and left of me on parallel tracks the participants, who, obviously, had also drunk and were going to the finish line.
Ten minutes later, a heavy realization of what is happening covers: I am driving along a sports track, the end and edge of which is not visible. It consists of countless zigzags and absolutely hellish descents and ascents, and those other participants on parallel tracks are the same zombies who got into this wild labyrinth, from which there is no way out and will never be. In general, this "circle around the finish line" was the most difficult 10 km of the entire route. It took them an hour. An hour after you have driven 50 m from the finish line!
The finish was welcome. I had exactly 180 km on the device, but there was no regret that it was not 200 or 220. The organizers' tactical decision with the last "top ten" on the sports track did their job - no one complained that he did not have enough. Bottom line: 180 km in 14.5 hours. For me, this is a record distance in one run with a record average speed in the initial section (75 km in 5 hours).
And I figured out the chip with the kilometer plates. This is the real 180 km (which was announced in advance), multiplied by the terrain, which should not have been in the original track. According to the organizers, this, in terms of the degree of difficulty, apparently corresponds to the 200 km of the original track. Hence the location of the plates: on simple sections, "track" kilometers correspond to real ones, on complex ones - they are slightly squeezed. Let's forgive the organizers for this little trick, because this is a legendary race. :)
It is unlikely that such a characteristic will enhance the drama of the competition, which is the main factor in the attractiveness of the action. Competitions with an obvious outcome are unlikely to be of interest to the observer.
Pyeongchang 2018
The most recent, Olympic experiences do not add optimism in the hopes of increasing interest in cross-country skiing. I had a chance to attend all biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions at the Pyeongchang Games. The attendance at the ski stadium was depressing. It has never been 100% full. There were just incidental episodes when more or less filled stands at qualifying races in the sprint were emptied during the finals.
Access to the ski and biathlon tracks was prohibited. The stadiums themselves are quite compact, and the stands are designed for no more than 4-5 thousand people. The biathlon and ski stadiums are literally right next to each other. Biathlon competitions always attracted a noticeably larger number of spectators.
To be fair, the problem of attendance at the Olympic events in Pyeongchang and for other sports should be mentioned. Spectators were rarely faced with the need to get extra tickets. My accreditation as a representative of Ski Sport magazine allowed me to visit various Olympic venues. Such large voids in the stands, which were often striking at the ski stadium, I did not notice at other sports facilities of the 2018 Olympics.
Of course, television ratings for Olympic broadcasts do not directly correlate with competition attendance. However, a comparative and, in my opinion, quite objective idea of the audience's interest in different types sports can be obtained, because in addition to local fans, foreign tourists from all over the world always come to the Olympic Games. By the way, the Russian fans were not in the minority at all in Pyeongchang.
About biathlon and not only
The surge in popularity of biathlon came in the 2000s. The reasons for this phenomenon have been discussed many times (for example, and).
But for a very long time, cross-country skiing held an undeniable priority. In pursuit of the glory of biathlon, the competitive formats of cross-country skiing began to change significantly. A major redesign was completed, according to the head of the FIS skiing committee, one of the ideologists of these changes, Vegard Ulwang, by 2005. Apparently, the period of stability has unjustifiably dragged on, if the new era prompts the search for unusual approaches to the development of cross-country skiing, which is now being done by the three-time Olympic champion Ulwanga.
Here, just one, but O a very sad illustration to the theme of the modern popularity of cross-country skiing in Russia: the national championship in 2017, Khanty-Mansiysk.
The final of the sprint with the participation of the local Ugra (Khanty-Mansiysk) skier Sergei Ustyugov, who became the hero of the World Championship just a month ago. Empty stands on Sunday afternoon in the beautiful Winter Sports Center, located almost in the city center. National team of the country in full complement led by Ustyugov took part in the championship. There is no one in the stands. And not only on this day. Not a single television broadcast of this tournament entered the top ratings of domestic sports TV programs, unlike the country's biathlon championship, which took place on the same days, but without the participation of several leading athletes ... Alas!
Try to look at biathlon as the same cross-country skiing, only with additional adventures that (adventures) became a delicious spectator lure. Now look at the new discipline "ski cross" (cross-country skiing with obstacles) from the same position, and then maybe you will change your negativity regarding the new FIS program proposals. Ski-cross has already been successfully tested in the competitions of the official FIS calendar - at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games.
Previously, ski cross has been successfully and repeatedly practiced in various commercial tournaments. For example, the Russian Sprint Tour, whose program was dominated by informal races, was held from 2007 to 2012 and showed the highest daily ratings on the Sport-Russia TV channel. Participants and spectators of the Sprint Tour successfully mastered such non-standard competitions as 100-meter races, group pursuit races, elimination races, group races by points (intermediate finishes). The current ski cross was called mountain sprint in Tour and was a kind of business card multi-day events. It turned out that unknown new competition formulas sometimes had more television interest than traditional starts.
Overseas extreme ski shows by Red Bull Nordix routinely draw huge audiences on the spot and on TV screens.
FIS already has a positive experience of introducing such cross-country disciplines, that is, racing with overcoming obstacles, in its other winter views... In freestyle and snowboarding, these new disciplines remain the most attractive to spectators. So, the Russian stages of the World Cup near Miass in the Chelyabinsk region in freestyle and snowboard cross-country are accompanied by thousands of sold-out shows at the stadium.
But cross-country skiing does not keep pace with the urgent demands of change, and hence the pursuit of urgent changes.
Another exotic discipline is on the agenda of Olympic Winter Innovation. Ski mountaineering will be featured in the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games program. The relatively long-standing passion of the supporters of alpine skiing and mountaineering was embodied in a rather serious competitive test with its own regulations, international federation, championships and world cups. Ski mountaineering is a mix of alpine skiing, ski touring with elements of cross-country skiing.
Youth Olympics have become a kind of testing ground for new sports and disciplines. Most often, innovations in the children's Olympic Games program receive further development in big competitions and tournaments.
And one more example from such a conservative sport, which has remained for many years Athletics... Very challenging changes are outlined in it. Participants of the upcoming European Olympic Games 2019 in Minsk will be offered an experimental team formula for the tournament. In the event of a successful premiere, the “queen of sports” can be transformed beyond recognition.
Afterword
Why are these groans? Not at all for grumbling or reproaches, but in order to realize the problem and, most importantly, try to find ways to solve it. Or at least try to help FIS (more precisely, V. Ulwang's committee) in this crisis period. Consider this also asking you for help.
P. S... Recent on the Tour de Ski stage it had high television ratings. And the same races that followed soon after (mass starts at short distances 10 and 15 km) at the Cup stage in the Austrian Seefeld passed "with a bang!" without any trouble.
Ski race- a cyclic sport in which athletes need to overcome the competitive distance on skis as soon as possible.
History
The first speed cross-country race was held in Norway in 1767. Then the Swedes and Finns followed the example of the Norwegians, and later the passion for racing arose in Central Europe. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, national ski clubs appeared in many countries. After 1909, skiing in Russia became much more active, competitions began to be held in many cities of the country, the need for international competitions was brewing. Soviet athletes for the first time took part in the VII Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d "Ampezzo, Italy, in 1956.
Benefit
The benefits of this oldest sport have been proven for a long time. Firstly, Fresh air, has a beneficial effect on the lungs. Secondly, these are rhythmic movements, during which many of the most different muscles... And thirdly, and flat, and, in particular, skiing always associated with beautiful nature. Skiing improves the functioning of the nervous system and the condition of the bone marrow, euphoria, cheerfulness, and a surge of energy appear.
Another serious plus in favor of skis is their positive effect on the figure. The body becomes toned, excess fat disappears, instead of which strong and elastic muscles develop. That is why the fair sex, increasingly abandoning traditional shaping and fitness, choose skiing. The benefits of this sport are much more noticeable, since it is not just training - it is relaxation, pleasure, health, beauty, and even fashion. Therefore, many people prefer winter resorts to trips to exotic countries and, despite the great temptation to fly away from winter to summer, they still choose snowy slopes, which have their own unique charm.
Skiing is good for the whole family. For adults it is good way build, strengthen nervous system and increase vitality. And for children, skiing will become both entertainment and useful physical education, disciplining and strengthening health. Both of them can use skis to strengthen and develop the spine, since this sport uses most of the back muscles.
Rules
When passing the distance, the participant does not have the right to use other means of transportation, except for skis and ski poles.
The participant must go only along the track and pass the checkpoints. He has no right to shorten the distance. If at the turn of the track with inside the markings are set, the participant must not go inside the arc of the turn indicated by the markings.
The participant has no right to change skis.
A participant who violated the rules during the course of the distance is removed from the competition for this distance.
Cross-country skiing is divided according to the style of movement.
The main skiing styles are “classic style” and “free style”.
Classic style
The original, "classic style" includes those types of movement in which the skier passes almost the entire distance along a previously prepared track, consisting of two parallel lines. "Classic" ski runs are divided according to the method of pushing off with sticks into alternating and simultaneous. According to the number of steps in one cycle, two-step, four-step and non-step moves are distinguished.
Free style
"Free style" implies that the skier is free to choose the way to move along the distance, but since the "classic" move is inferior in speed to the "skate", "free style" is, in fact, synonymous with "skate".
The main types of cross-country skiing
Time-trial competition
Competitions with a general start (mass start)
Pursuit (Pursuit, pursuit, Gundersen system)
Relay races
Individual Sprint
Team sprint
Time-trial competition
With a separate start, athletes start at a certain interval in a certain sequence. As a rule, the interval is 30 seconds (less often - 15 seconds, 1 minute). The sequence is determined by drawing lots or current situation an athlete in the ranking (the strongest start last). A paired separate start is possible. The final result of an athlete is calculated according to the formula "finish time" minus "start time"
Mass Start Competitions
In a mass start, all athletes start at the same time. Moreover, athletes with best rating occupy the most advantageous places at the start. The final result is the same as the athlete's finish time.
Pursuit Race
Pursuit races are a combined competition consisting of several stages. In this case, the starting position of athletes at all stages (except for the first) is determined by the results of the previous stages. As a rule, in cross-country skiing, the pursuit takes place in two stages, one of which the athletes run in the classical style, and the other in the free style.
Relay races
Teams consisting of four athletes (rarely three) compete in relay races. Ski relay races consist of four stages (less often - three), of which stages 1 and 2 run in the classical style, and stages 3 and 4 run in a free style. The relay begins with a mass start, with the most advantageous places at the start determined by a draw, or they will be received by the teams that took the highest places in previous similar competitions. The relay is passed by touching the palm of the hand of any part of the body of the starting athlete of his team, while both athletes are in the relay transfer zone. The final result of a relay team is calculated using the formula "finish time of the last team member" minus the "start time of the first team member".
Individual Sprint
Individual sprint competitions begin with qualifications, which are organized in a split start format. After qualifying, the selected athletes compete in the sprint finals, which are held in the form of races of various formats with a mass start. The number of athletes selected for the final races does not exceed 30. First, the quarterfinals are held, then the semi-finals and finally the finals B and A.
The individual sprint final results table is formed in the following order: the results of the final A, the results of the final B, the participants of the quarterfinals, the non-qualified participants.
Team sprint
The team sprint is held as a relay race with teams consisting of two athletes, who alternately replace each other, running 3-6 laps of the track each. With a sufficiently large number of teams entered, two semifinals are held, of which an equal number best teams selected for the final. The team sprint starts with a mass start. The final result of the team sprint is calculated according to the rules of the relay.
Distance length
In official competitions, the length of the distance ranges from 800 meters to 50 km. In this case, one distance can consist of several circles.
In the 4x10 km relay at the Olympic Games in South Korean Pyeongchang. Andrey Larkov, Alexander Bolshunov, Alexey Chervotkin and Denis Spitsov ran for the team of Olympic athletes from Russia. The editorial staff of TASS-DOSSIER prepared biographies of athletes.
Andrey Vitalievich Larkov was born on November 25, 1989 in Zelenodolsk (Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, now Tatarstan).
He studied at the children's and youth sports school №4 in Zelenodolsk. Trained with Vladimir Makhalov and Gennady Rozhkov.
Andrey Larkov is the champion of Russia (2017, 70 km freestyle), three times silver (2013, 70 km freestyle; 2014 - skiathlon, 50 km freestyle) and three times bronze (2013 - skiathlon; 2015, 2017 - 15 km freestyle) medalist of the national championship.
In January - February 2015 in Strbske Pleso (Slovakia) became a three-time champion of XXVII Winter Universiade... He won the freestyle sprint race and the 30 km freestyle race, and also excelled in the relay team.
In March 2017 in Lahti (Finland) he won a silver medal at the World Championship in relay.
International Master of Sports of Russia (2013).
Awarded with gratitude from the President of the Russian Federation (2015).
Alexander Alexandrovich Bolshunov was born on December 31, 1996 in the village. Podvyot'e (Sevsky district of the Bryansk region).
I started to study ski training under the guidance of his father. Improved his skills at the Bryansk Regional Sports School Olympic reserve cross-country skiing (coach - Nikolay Nekhitrov).
In December 2016, he won the freestyle sprint and the 30 km classic race at the Krasnogorskaya Ski Track (Moscow Region).
In February 2017, in Soldier Hollow (Utah, USA) at the World Championship among juniors and youth under 23, he won gold medals in the 15 km freestyle and skiathlon race, and also took second place in the classic style sprint.
In March - April 2017, at the Russian cross-country skiing championship in Khanty-Mansiysk, he won the 50 km race in the classical style and took third place in the skiathlon. He also won a silver medal in the relay and a bronze medal in the team sprint.
In July 2017, at the Roller Ski World Championships in Skellefteå (Sweden), he excelled in the 20 km mass start and individual race by 22.5 km.
On February 13, 2018, he won a bronze medal in the classic style sprint at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2018).
Alexey Alexandrovich Chervotkin was born on April 30, 1995 in the village. Zykovs (Kotelnichsky district of the Kirov region).
I started to study skiing in the village Darovsky (Kirov region) under the guidance of coach Viktor Vereshchagin. In the early 2010s. moved to Moscow, where he continued his studies at the sports school of the Olympic reserve №81 "Babushkino".
In January 2013 at the World Junior Championships in Liberec (Czech Republic) won gold medal in the relay and won the bronze medal in the skiathlon. In January - February 2014, at a similar competition in Val di Fiemme (Italy), he took second place in skiathlon and third in relay. In February 2015, at the Junior World Championships in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan), he excelled in the 10 km freestyle race, as well as in the relay and skiathlon.
In February 2013, at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Brasov, Romania, he won gold medals in the 10 km freestyle, 7.5 km classic and mixed relay.
In March 2014, at the Russian junior championship in Syktyvkar, he took first place in the 15 km free style, and also became the bronze medalist in the 10 km classic style and skiathlon. In March 2015, at similar competitions in Tyumen, he excelled in the free style sprint and took third place in the 10 km free style.
In February 2016 in Rasnov (Romania) he took second place in the 15 km classic race at the World Junior and Youth Championships U23. In February 2017, at a similar competition in Soldier Hollow, he won silver medals in the 15 km freestyle and skiathlon.
Andrey Chervotkin is the champion of Russia (2016 - 50 km freestyle) and three-time silver medalist of the national championship (2016 - team sprint; 2017 - skiathlon, 50 km classic style).
In February 2017 at III winter He won the 15 km freestyle race at the World War Games in Sochi.
In March 2017, in Lahti, he won the silver medal at the World Championship in relay.
International Master of Sports of Russia (2015).
Denis Sergeevich Spitsov was born on August 16, 1996 in the village. Vozhega (Vologda region).
He began ski training at the insistence of his father. Since 2006, he has been improving his skills at the sports school in the village. Vozhega (now - Vozhegodskaya children and youth sport school them. Olympic champion A.I.Bogaliy) under the guidance of coach Evgeny Vanyukov.
At the age of 14, together with a coach, he moved to Tyumen. Studied at the Training Center sports reserve in cross-country skiing and biathlon by Luiza Noskova. Since 2014 has been representing the Tyumen Center sports training and holding sporting events(DSP72).
In February 2015, in Alma-Ata, he became the winner of the junior world championship in the relay race, as well as the silver medalist in the individual 10 km freestyle race and bronze in the skiathlon.
In March 2015, in Tyumen, he became the Russian champion among juniors in skiathlon and at a distance of 10 km free style, and also took second place in the free style sprint race.
In February 2016, at the World Championships among juniors and youth under 23 in Rasnov, he took second place in the relay and third in the 15 km free style. In February 2017, in Soldier Hollow, he won bronze medals in the 15 km freestyle and skiathlon at similar competitions. In January 2018, at the same tournament in Goms (Switzerland), he excelled in skiathlon and took second place at a distance of 15 km in a classic style.
Denis Spitsov is a three-time silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2016, 2017 - relay; 2017 - 15 km freestyle).
On February 16, 2018, he won the bronze medal of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in the 15 km freestyle race.
Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2018). 0spo / sau / ptd.